| |
 |
|
| Staff Reads |
Skip to Youth Yaks or Book Groups»
« Back to Page one
|
|
 |
Jen's Picks |
|
|
|
 |
Buried Prey
by John Sandford
I've been a mystery kick for a while........
I just finished Buried Prey. I really enjoyed this one because the first eight chapters were a flashback to Davenport's early work as a homicide detective. Sandford did a great job of piecing together the past and present.
|
 |
The Brutal Telling
by Louise Penny
I’m currently reading The Brutal Telling—it’s hard to stay away from Three Pines Village and Inspector Gamache! |
 |
The Secret Place
by
Tana French
I've just started Tana French's forthcoming book, which the publisher says is a "powerful, haunting exploration of friendship and loyalty, and a gripping addition to the Dublin Murder Squad series.” French is one of my favorite mystery writers and the Dublin Murder Squad books are a series in the loosest sense as you honestly can reach each book as a stand-alone. Often, a detective who is a minor character in one book is the main character in the next. The circumstances of the crimes in French's books are edgier than those in cozy mysteries, but the characters have more depth than you'd ever expect in a crime novel.
The Secret Place will be released September 2nd and you can pre-order it now! Mention this review for a 10% discount.
|
|
 |
Sally's Picks |
|
|
 |
|
The Bohemian Flats
by
Mary Relindes Ellis
Thus far this summer, The Bohemian Flats has been the book the book groups at Sister Wolf have liked the best. It’s the story of a German family which emigrates to the United States in stages. Raimund comes first, to escape the life his unyielding father and older brother have planned for him. He settles in The Bohemian Flats, an immigrant village beneath the Washington Avenue bridge in Minneapolis. Later, Raimund’s brother and the brother’s wife join him. This is an educated family, fluent in English, which is different from many immigrant stories. However, they still struggled to make new lives for themselves. This became more difficult when the outbreak of WWI led to paranoia about German-Americans in the United States. I enjoyed the story, and also liked reading about what life was like in my hometown in an earlier era. I was intrigued to learn that people lived in Bohemian Flats until 1963, and wonder how it was that I’d never heard of this area before.
|
|
|
How the Light Gets In and The Long Way Home
by Louise Penny
Good news for fans of Chief Inspector Gamache, the main character in a wonderful series of mysteries by Louise Penny! How the Light Gets In was released in paperback late in July. It’s set primarily in the Canadian village of Three Pines as Chief Inspector Gamache and his team investigate the disappearance of a woman who was once one of the most famous people in the world, but now goes unrecognized by virtually everyone except the eccentric poet Ruth Zardo. Although all the books in this series involve murder investigations, they are character-driven. Gamache and the many supporting characters are complex, individual, and believable.
The latest book in the Gamache series, The Long Way Home, will be released on August 26. I was fortunate enough to have received an advance copy, which I’ve devoured. In this book, Gamache and Reine-Marie, his wife, have retired and moved to the village of Three Pines. They’re easily and eagerly settled into life in the peaceful village, and Gamache is recovering from the events in How the Light Gets In. Local artist Clara Morrow shares with Gamache her concerns over the disappearance of her husband Peter, from whom she is separated. Before long, Gamache, his former second-in-command, Jean-Guy Beauvior, Clara, and their friend Myrna are involved in searching for Peter, an artist whose reputation has been eclipsed by Clara’s.
Penny’s books can’t come fast enough for me, but this one was worth the wait. It may be pre-ordered at either store.
|
|
|
The Goldfinch
by Donna Tartt
Listening to the audio book of The Goldfinch has been my summer project It’s a long book, and I listened to 10 discs before I had to return it to the library, request it again, and slowly work my way up to the top of the list before checking it out for the second time. I just finished listening to the last 16 discs! In the book, Theo Decker is a boy living in New York City with his mother after his father has left them. Theo survives an explosion at an art museum which kills his mother and totally changes his life. The book chronicles a number of years in Theo’s life, as he struggles with guilt, PTSD, and neglect. I would like to talk about this book with others who had read it. Let me know if you’re interested in such a discussion!
|
|
 |
Ann's PickS |
|
|
 |
|
The Rosie Project
by Graeme Simsion
Don Tillman is a genetics professor who is challenged in the area of social skills. He has set out on a systematic quest to find the perfect wife—The Wife Project. Don meets Rosie when she asks for his help in finding her biological father—The Father Project. Don and Rosie come to care about each other in spite of their many differences. The Rosie Project is a combination of quirky characters and wacky events and a celebration of uniqueness and acceptance. If you’re looking for an upbeat, feel good story, you’ll enjoy The Rosie Project.
|
 |
|
Little Mercies
by Heather Gudenkauf
Ellen Moore is a busy social worker, wife, and mother. The events of one tragic day threaten to change her life forever. Little Mercies is a suspenseful and heart wrenching story. We are reminded that it is the “little mercies,” the kind gestures of friends and family that will help get us through.
|
 |
|
The Boys in the Boat
by Daniel James Brown
I am currently reading The Boys in the Boat, the story of the University of Washington’s 1936 eight-oar rowing crew and their quest to win the gold in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The book highlights the lives of some of the crew members, many of whom came from very humble beginnings. The historical events of the time in both America and Europe provide a fascinating backdrop. Ultimately, teamwork and the crew’s tenacity lead to success. The Boys in the Boat is a stand up and cheer kind of story.
|
|
|
 |
Emily's Picks |
|
|
|
 |
|
Butternut Summer
by Mary McNear
Just when I thought life couldn’t get better up at Butternut Lake, a summer full of surprises and life-changing choices for a mother-daughter duo unfold. As Daisy prepares for her final year of college, she moves back home to help out her mother Caroline at the local coffee shop. As she’s trying to rekindle her relationship with her absentee father, she stumbles across Will, a bad-boy from her past. As they grow closer she must make a life changing decision. Meanwhile, Caroline struggles with her ex-husband coming back into their lives. As she struggles to make ends meet, she might find support in the place she never imagined. This book can be read as a standalone, but fans of Up at Butternut Lake will smile as the author so delicately intertwines the characters to make life truly special at Butternut Lake.
The book releases on August 12.
|
|
 |
|
Landline
by Rainbow Roswell
Rainbow Roswell, author of Eleanor and Park takes a stab at adult fiction. I was blown away with this novel about marriage, taking everyday family blessings for granted and a chance to do it all over with just one phone call. Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. She’s still very much in love with her husband but just two days before they’re supposed to visit his family for Christmas, Georgie, too busy with work, says she’s unable to go. That comment was grounds for a breakup and the following days made her question what’s really important in her life. When Georgie “phones home” with an old rotary phone in her bedroom, she relives what life was like before the comment. Hanging up, she realizes she has one last chance to make things right. Does she hop on the plane to save her marriage or does she sit back? Find out in Rainbow’s fabulous novel…. She won’t disappoint.
|
 |
|
Amity & Sorrow
by Peggy Riley
They say never judge a book by its cover, and that certainly was the case with this gripping and shocking novel. On the surface it appears as though Amity and Sorrow are simply just two sisters. It’s not until you read that they are strapped together by a wrist band, sitting silently in the backseat as their mother drives for days on end, desperate to get away from her husband, that you realize that’s not so. The three, coming from a polygamous community compound can’t imagine what lies ahead of them. When their car crashes into a local farmer in Oklahoma, the girl’s life is immediately turned upside down. At first the farmer, Bradley, is hostile towards them but as the story unfolds, both sides seem to find a new kind of family they never thought possible. This book was a shocking, unforgettable story about belief, resilience and redemption. |
 |
|
The One and Only
by Emily Giffin
33 year old Shea Rigsby has spent her entire life in Walker, Texas, living and breathing football. Ask her any Heisman trivia and she can name off years of players and stats. Growing up with her best friend Lucy, who happens to be the daughter of the legendary head Coach, she had devoted her life to this small town of heroes. Taking a job at the local university as a sports writer, life is going well for her until an unexpected tragedy hits their small town. Shea is forced to wonder if the life she’s chosen on the football field is really enough for her. Throughout her journey she finds love, loss and hope in the most unusual ways. If Shea can find her passion, follow her heart and believe in something bigger than herself, she might just make that final touchdown. |
|
 |
Gail's Picks |
|
|
 |
|
Ordinary Grace
by William Kent Krueger
The first time I met William Kent Krueger, he was dressed in a black and white prison outfit and carrying a ball and chain! He was at Sister Wolf Books promoting his Cork O'Connor mystery series which has been extremely successful. Now he has written a "stand alone" novel. Frank Drum, son of the preacher, tries to make sense of his life when the world seems to be falling apart around him. Set in the 60's, there is mystery, murder, love and also the "ordinary grace of God.” I recommend this book for its good action packed story and its thoughtfulness about life. |
|
|
The Supremes at Earl's All You Can Eat Café
by Edward Moore
This book is for people who enjoy humor set in the south. Four women who have been friends forever meet with their husbands every Sunday at Earl's and we learn the stories of each. This is a fun read for those not familiar with southern humor. I discovered the book became much funnier when discussed with others. |
|
 |
Hannah's Picks |
|
|
 |
|
The Night Circus
by Erin Morgenstern
It just appears in a field: a circus that opens at nightfall and closes at dawn. Everything in it is black and white and permeated with actual magic. This is a love story and a mystery far more compelling than a who-done-it, but the circus itself is the main attraction. I am jealous of Morgenstern’s imagination. The book is a great delight.
|
|
|
An Abundance of Katherines
by John Green
Green has such a sweet, affirming message in everything he does. His characters are funny and quirky and it’s easy to empathize with them. The story is about a child prodigy who has been dumped by 19 girls named Katherine. Sort of. It lacks the gravitas of The Fault in Our Stars, but it’s extremely readable. I enjoyed his flights of fancy in footnotes. (Maybe a bit raunchy for youngest readers: parents may want to preread.)
|
 |
|
Confessions of a Sociopath: A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight
by M. E. Thomas (a pseudonym)
I’m crazy about the BBC series Sherlock. In it Holmes is accused of being a psychopath and replies, “I’m a high functioning sociopath: do your research!” which I found amusing and intriguing. So when this book caught my eye, I bit. It’s “part memoir, part psychological treatise,” and explains a lot about Holmes. “Recent estimates” apparently are that one in 25 of us are sociopaths, so you probably know some (or are one?) Reading this, you may find yourself trying to guess who… and feeling like they aren’t necessarily bad friends to have.
|
|
 |
Iain's Pick |
|
|
 |
|
Your Fathers, Where are They?
And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever?
by Dave Eggers
This is one of the most uniquely written books that I have ever read. Your Fathers is told as a conversation between two people, with each line beginning a new piece of dialogue. The story follows Thomas, a middle aged man who is looking for answers to both his present and his past. Wanting to find these answers, Thomas kidnaps Kev, an astronaut. And so begins one man’s strange journey for enlightenment.
|
|
| « Page 1 |
|
|
|
